Agricultural implements and machines, such as various plows, tillers, rippers, seeders, nutrient applicators, etc., are used to work soil of field crops. Tillage and other agricultural implements can perform a variety of tasks, such as breaking up tough ground, injecting nutrients into the ground, and leveling the ground. Such implements are commonly towed behind work vehicles, such as tractors, and can be outfitted with a variety of ground-engaging tools, such as shanks, discs, harrowing tools and finishing tools, depending on the ground preparation operation being carried out.
The ability to efficiently and effectively conduct ground preparation operations is highly affected by the ground conditions, such as the wetness, the amount of crop residue, and the general composition of the ground. One issue is establishing and maintaining the desired engagement of the tools with the ground. This could be in terms of the proper orientation and alignment with the direction of travel of the implement, the proper ground following and penetration to achieve the desired ground preparation, achieving a consistent orientation, or following and penetration with respect to the ground across the width of the implement transverse to the travel direction of the implement.
Modern tillage implements may have a central main frame and one or more wings supporting the tools in a prescribed pattern to achieve good ground working and residue flow over an extended swathe of field as the implement traverses the field. Some tillage implements, for example, have outer wings pivotally coupled to inner wings, which, in turn are pivotally connected at opposite sides of the main frame. The pivotal connections permit the wings to fold inward for transport of the implement on roadways. Arranging the various tools and attachments as needed for ground-working without interfering with folding of the implement may be challenging and may require operator intervention in the event any of the various components become entangled.
A common configuration of a tool placement pattern includes a simple array (i.e. a set number placed in rows and columns) of gang assemblies mirrored about a centerline of the tillage implement extending in the fore-aft direction. However, this mirrored symmetry of columns of gang assemblies about the centerline results in a discontinuity of ground material tillage in and around the central region of the tillage implement. For example, an area of untilled ground materials spanning a minimum four inches across the centerline is generally present in common configurations of tool placement Alternatively, gang assemblies may be placed in a staggered array in an offset tandem configuration whereby the tillage of ground material may address the aforementioned discontinuity. However, this approach yields in a tillage implement that is longer in the fore-aft direction and/or wider in a lateral direction. This creates a number of issues regarding foldability, transport, and the placement of non-symmetric components throughout the tillage implement. The non-symmetry may cause uneven draft loads causing “dog tracking” or inconsistent cutout of ground material in the field. The following, in particular the middle breaker of the present disclosure, addresses these issues.